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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26935741">Complicated</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MechBull/pseuds/MechBull'>MechBull</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>As the World Turns</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 16:21:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,572</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26935741</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MechBull/pseuds/MechBull</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Abigail and Luke talk the morning after the wedding-that-wasn't.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Reid Oliver/Luke Snyder</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Complicated</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Originally posted to LiveJournal on August 3, 2010</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Luke fought a gaping yawn as he walked into Java the morning after his dad and Molly’s cancelled wedding.  He had barely gotten any sleep the night before.  The day had been long enough, <i>obviously</i>, and then he got home only to find his parents sitting <i>close</i> by each other on the couch.  They didn’t even notice him come inside.  Luke had rolled his eyes, vowing to wait until the morning to find out what was going on there this time.  He had other things to think about.</p><p>Things like the look in Reid’s eyes after he had kissed him in the suite.  Or perhaps more importantly, the look in his eyes after Luke had pulled away when Reid tried to kiss him.  He thought about how everything in his body was screaming at him to take Reid up on the offer, to put that room to good use, even while everything in his brain was screaming at him to wait.  The only part of him that didn’t seem to have an opinion was his heart.  Or maybe it was just so torn, it didn’t know what to say.</p><p>Because Luke still – he still – Noah was his first, his only.  They had waited so long, waited until they were in love and knew they wanted so much <i>more</i> from each other.  Honestly, Luke thought, they might have waited too long.  Sex had never been a big part of their relationship, and Luke had always wondered if that was because they had <i>bypassed</i> it somehow.</p><p>It wasn’t that he didn’t care for Reid.  He did.  He didn’t expect himself to fall so hard, so quickly.  But he refused to put a name to those feelings, really.  Because none of the things he ever associated with love quite matched up to how Reid acted with him.  How he felt when Reid was around.  Love was complicated. Love was as painful as it was amazing.  But as much drama surrounded the two of them as they built up to this <i>relationship</i>, as much as he still agonized over what they were and where they were going...now that they're actually in it and during the moments they spend alone together when Luke just stops overanalyzing each detail, that's when everything becomes, relatively-speaking, easy.  And fun.  Love should not be this simple, not in Luke’s experience.</p><p>And it wasn’t that he didn’t want to sleep with Reid.  <i>God</i>, he did.  He was still half-hard when he got home, just from that quick, “encouraging” kiss.  The lust and attraction and desire were so strong, he could barely stand it.  But the fear was stronger.</p><p>Luke shook his head, bringing himself back to the present as the person in front of him in line finished ordering and stepped aside.  Luke tried not to react visibly when he saw that Noah was the employee behind the counter.  <i>Of course</i> he was.</p><p>“Hey Noah,” he said, as casually as possible.</p><p>“Hi Luke,” Noah said, the strain in his voice obvious.  “Wow, you look beat.”</p><p>Luke lifted his eyebrows in agreement.</p><p>“Oh, it was the wedding yesterday, wasn’t it?  Holden and Molly’s?  How was it?”</p><p>“Ah,” Luke said, scratching behind his ear.</p><p>“Hey, little brother.”</p><p>Luke turned quickly around, taking advantage of the distraction. A very sad-looking Abigail had just walked into the shop.  He stepped closer, hugging her with one arm.</p><p>“Morning.  I’m guessing last night sucked.”</p><p>“It did, but please let’s not talk about it.”</p><p>“OK,” Luke said, smiling supportively.</p><p>Abigail forced a grin.  “Changing the subject…Faith and the kids came back to the farm this morning.  They seemed pretty convinced you and Hot Doc were planning a little sleepover of your own at the Lakeview.  So, at least someone’s night went well.”</p><p>Luke blushed deeper than he’d ever blushed before.  He laughed uncomfortably and turned back to Noah, who did not look happy.</p><p>“Ah, um,” Luke floundered.  “Abigail, <i>this</i> is Noah.”</p><p>Abigail glanced at Noah, eyes wide, and then turned back to Luke.  She nodded.  “Of course it is.”</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>**</p>
</div><p>Luke and Abigail sat in the corner of Java, leaning close to each other as they talked quietly but urgently.</p><p>“I can’t believe I did that!” Abigail continued to repeat.  “When will I ever learn to just not open my mouth?”</p><p>Luke laughed, playing with a tiny plastic straw on the table.  He shook his head.  “Don’t worry about it.  It’s not like things aren’t awkward enough between Noah and me, as it is.”</p><p>“OK, with all the crazy yesterday, we didn’t get a chance for gossip.  Last I heard, you two were still together, so…what?”</p><p>Luke shrugged.  “Things change. It’s a – a really long story.”</p><p>“You suck at gossiping,” Abigail informed him.</p><p>Luke’s mouth dropped open in mock offense.  “You first!” he commanded.</p><p>“OK, fine.  I just ended a relationship too.”</p><p>“With that guy you vaguely mentioned on Facebook?”</p><p>“Uh-huh.”</p><p>“What was the problem?”</p><p>She shrugged.  “His wife.”</p><p>Luke looked up at her, startled.  His shoulders dropped.  “Oh, <i>Abby</i>.”</p><p>“I know.  I know.”</p><p>“Did you?  Know?”</p><p>“I did.  I was just…making stupid choices.”</p><p>“Seems to be going around a lot lately.”  Luke leaned back in his chair and shook his head.</p><p>“You mean you?” Abigail asked, confused.  “If I had a guy who looked at me like Reid was looking at you yesterday…”</p><p>“No, I mean – what?  How was he looking at me?” Luke asked, unable to stop his smile.</p><p>“Kind of dopey, like you are right now.”</p><p>Luke blushed, ducking his head.  Then he went back to the previous subject.  “I <i>meant</i> Dad.  I want to defend him because he’s always been supportive of me, but I honestly don’t know what he was thinking.”</p><p>“Running off to France? I know.”</p><p>“And not even just that.  I mean, if he still has feelings for my mom, then <i>he</i> should have called off the wedding.  Weeks ago.”</p><p>“I hate feeling torn between them,” Abigail said.  “They’re both my parents.  And I know Dad’s upset, but Mom really needs me right now.”</p><p>Luke nodded sadly.  “I know I just said yesterday that part of me always thought that my parents would get back together, but I didn’t expect this to happen.  It’s funny, you know?  All my life, I’ve grown up hearing about the big Lily and Holden Love Story.  I wanted something like that, the first young love that turns into the love of my life, something that would last forever.  But I was up all night thinking about this, actually.  I’m starting to notice now how <i>awful</i> that really is. Because they hurt each other so much.  They break up, and they date other people, but then they start to think nobody could <i>really</i> replace the other one, so they get back together only to make each other miserable again.  The affairs and the lies and the fighting and the reconciliation.  Is that love?  I mean, is that <i>really</i> love?  It seems more like codependency to me.  Between Mom and Dad and Jack and Carly and just about every couple in this town, it seems, that’s the only way I’ve ever thought love could be.  It’s how I justified staying with Noah through a lot of crap.  But I’m kind of thinking I don’t want it anymore, after all.”</p><p>Abigail nodded, her eyebrows raised.  She didn’t say anything for a long time.  “At the same time, all that passion.  All those fiery emotions and complex history.  Is going for a relationship that has anything less than that somehow…settling?”</p><p>Luke stared at the table for a while.  Then he looked at Noah for a beat.  Noah was half-heartedly wiping a towel over the counter in front of him.</p><p>“I don’t think so,” Luke finally confessed. “I mean, say you find someone who makes you happy and stands up for you and does things for you even when they don’t want to.  Someone you’re attracted to and – and who turns you on, and challenges you without…without making everything so…complicated.  How is that settling?  That actually sounds kind of nice.”</p><p>Abigail held her coffee cup up close to her mouth.  She watched Luke knowingly for a few moments.  “Yes, it does,” she finally said, before taking a sip.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>**</p>
</div><p>“Yeah, come in,” Reid called out at the knock on his office door.</p><p>The knob turned, and the door opened.  Luke popped his head inside.  He smiled at Reid, and Reid couldn’t help but smile back.</p><p>“Hi,” Luke said softly.</p><p>“What are you doing here?” Reid asked, standing and walking closer to Luke.</p><p>Luke swung his arm out from behind his back, presenting Reid with a cup from Java.  “Three guesses.”</p><p>Reid took the cup, smiling down at it before looking up at Luke.  “Thank you,” he said sincerely.  “I needed this.”</p><p>Luke leaned against the door, rocking back and forth slightly in flirtatious embarrassment.  “I figured.”  He took a deep breath.  “And I figured…courting can go both ways, you know?”</p><p>Reid stared at him again.  He took a step forward, indicating with a crook of his finger that Luke should come closer as well.  Moving that finger to Luke’s chin, he tilted Luke's face up slightly and planted a soft kiss on his lips.  After a beat, Reid pulled away.  Luke’s eyes were still closed, and his lips quirked upwards in a small smile.</p><p>“So can encouragement,” Reid murmured.</p><p>Luke opened his eyes.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>The End</p>
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